Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-02-15
SOMERVILLE'S SPEECH
Seconding Mr.. Camden's Nomination for
United States Senator.

friend, the gentleman from Gilmer, de-
sire to say to my distinguished friend from
the county Of jefferson, who has declaimed
so elOquently against that nomination,
that /, like himself, have the honor in my
humble way to represent an agricultural
seatipn of the State, All that the honor
able gentleman has said, and all that he
may say, and all that may be said by 9th
erS here concerning the dignity and I'M
portance of agriculture will find
a ready response among the people whom
have the honor to represent. In all that
pertains to this subject, the Northern
Panhandle will always be found ready TO
join hands with the Eastern Panhandle
But sir, we do not for this reason feel call
ed upon to aSsail or attempt to break down
the railroad and other interests of the
State. We do not belong to that class OF
people who climb the forest trees or his
themselves to their hiding places in order
to escape the sight or avoid the sound Of a
locomotive engine. We believe sir, that il
West Virginia has suffered in connection
with the subject of railroads, il has been
because we have not had enough of them, and
not because we have had too many of them.
Nor do We believe that we are superior in
intellect, integrity or virtue to our fellow
men, and that n minority OF our number,
however large, respectable or important
that minority may be, has a right to die
tate policy or party candidate or NOM
inee to the majority OF our party. A very
large marjority of the Democratic members
of this Legislature, with unanimity al
most unknown in the history of party pol
itiCs in this State has seen fit in its wis
dom, and by the only method known for
the organization and government of politi-
cal parties, TO place before this Joint assem-
bly, party nominee for the high and i'm
portant Office of nited States Senator. The
very moment that nomination was made, the
election or defeat of the nominee ceased TO
be n question of the personal advancement
or political destiny of johnson n. Camden
and became at once question of the pre-
servation Of the integrity. organization
and existence of the Democratic party in
this State. No one will tell me that pOliti-
cal parties can be perpetuated or party or
ganization maintained without the help of
party nominations. In the very nature of
things this must be true. The party
caucus is simply the party council, q part
of the machinery by which the policy of
the party is shaped and the leaders are en-
abled to carry out that policy by a pre-
arranged concert of action.
No party has ever yet sought to accom-
plish anything in this State in the way of
electing public officers, without first resort
ing to some form of caucus, for the purpose
OF making nominations and every gentle
man who is here to-day participating in
the proceedings of this joint assembly, in.
cluding its presiding officer, is here as the
caucus or convention nominee of his party
and owes his election to that fact. Sir,
admit the errors that are sometimes con.
nected with party caucuscs and conven'
tons; but Notwithstanding these errors, no
man no party and no set of men, however
wise, prudent or virtuous, have ever been
able to suggest or devise anything that
will remove the difficulties
or produce better results,
and these evils, too, ale such as ~ grow
out of the abuse and perversion OF the sys.
TEN and not out of the proper use of it,.
| And Sir, ! say TO the few Democrats here
who assume to themselves an amount oi
political integrity and sagacity which en-.
titles them To dictate a policy and can
ddate to the majority of their party that
there il no place for them within their
party unless they are willing 10 come into
and he governed by its duly organized and
constituted councils However good their
intentions may he, their action if persisted
in can have hut one result, and that is the
disruption and final defeat and de-
struCtion of their party in this State;
and unless they are prepared to join hands
with our political enemies they must eth
er return To the Democratic fold and grace
fully acquiesce in the will of the INA jority
or accomplished by indrecti0n what am
sure they would scorn to do directly.
There was never less excuse for a bolt than
there il in this case and no minority ever
had less to justify its course. | do not
feel called upon Ia assign reasons for the
loyal support Of our nominees beyond the
fact that he was fairly and honestly nOmi-
mated. No true Democrat wants any other
reason. We have no apology 10 offer 10
any one Tor the nomination OF
johnson ~ Camden. Upon the con-
trary il Is a nomination Of
which we are all prond and of which we
have right 10 I've proud. Our candidate
the candidate of the Democratic pDrty-
is n man who is TT 10 be United States
Senator. lie il our senior Senator now,
and by his manly, straightforward and
Democratic course he has not only y reflected
credit upon our State but has made for
! himself a reputation which reaches far be-
yond the confines Of his State; aud bold
ly affirm here and now, without the fear
of successful contradiction or TeIutation
from any source, that in point Of honesty,
integrity and political integrity, Johnson
\. Camden is the peer Of any man
whose name has been mentioned
in connection with the Office Of United
States Senator. lie is rich, il IL trne, but
no man will undertake TO say that he ever
acauired one dollar Of his wealth by any
dishonest means, and he does not possess o
dollar of wealth that the honorable gen
tleman from the county Of Jefferson wonld
not willingly and gladly share with him
if by any honest means he could do 40.
II is charged also that Mr. Camden is a
monopolist, but this | deny and challenge
the gentleman from Jefferson or any other
gentleman, TO take his record as United
States senator and point out single vote
or single act in the interest Of monopoly.
That record, sir, will show that in
every instance in which the
rights OF the people were involved as
against the Entertainments Of corporate and
aggregate wealth, johnson y. Camden has
| been found with his vote and influence
upon the side Of the people; and sir, his
every act and every vote has shown that
he possesses the requisite qualifications oi
JeiTersOnian statesmanship-that he is
honest, capable and faithful. No man who
is not demagogue, or whose judgment il
not blinded by prejudice, or who Is no,
ready to raise the red flag Of Communism,
will as4ail or attempt 10 asail our candi
date on such grounds. But my friend from
Jefferson presents 10 this joint Assem-.
bly, the name Of the Hon. Z. vii.
1 IL. NEsIan- h.. - ~